Coalition opposes call for takeover of Bauchi Assembly by NASS

Samuel Luka, Bauchi

A Coalition of Progressive Political Parties (CPPP) comprising of 35 political parties in Bauchi State on Tuesday distanced themselves from a purported report that “political parties in Bauchi have called on the House of Representatives to take over affairs of the state assembly” following leadership crisis.

The coalition while refuting a story aired by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) on July 15 which allegedly reported that political parties in the state have asked the committee to take over the state assembly, described the call as misleading.

Spokesperson of the coalition, who is also the state Chairman of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Sani Burra, appealed to the committee to also dismiss any allegation of wrong doing in the process of electing the speaker and deputy speaker of the 9th state assembly.

He stated that “there is no political party in Bauchi State that is chaired by a woman but in the report, a woman spoke on behalf of the political parties. We expected to hear the lady mention her name and the political party she is chairing.

So, it is questionable because the lady who spoke on behalf of the said political parties did not mention her name or which political party she represents. So we are not even aware of such move.”

According to the coalition, the election of the principal officers of the state assembly was in order as it took place inside the assembly chamber with the presence of the mace and the clerk of the assembly as enshrined in the laws of the land.

“The election of the House leaders where 13 out of 31 members voted was in line with its standing orders of 2017 as amended,” Burra said, adding that “the quorum of the House shall be one- third which is 11 of all the members of the House who are 31 in all.

“The honourable members- elect who were present were exactly 13 in number and the population of the members -elect in Bauchi State are 31 members.

This invariably means 18 members-elect wilfully stayed away from the exercise as prescribed by the Standing Order 2, rule 2 (1) supra-meaning they refused to exercise their rights to vote and or to be voted for as speaker or deputy speaker,” he stated.

The spokesperson for the coalition said: “We therefore, crave your indulgence to quote Order 4 of the Standing Order 2017 governing the requisite number of members present to form a legal and valid quorum.”